There are many different activities that can stimulate the brain and help people who suffer from dementia to improve their sensory and memory functions as well as things like hand eye coordination and conversation. Many of these activities you can be done on your own, or with friends or family.
Arts and Crafts
Hands on activities are a great way to stimulate the brain and a creative way to maintain dexterity in hands and fingers. It’s a chance to make items for loved ones, decorate the house, or just to have some fun whilst doing something that’s good for you. When it comes to arts and crafts the list of what you can do is literally endless. You can make things using recycled items that can be easily found around the house (such as newspapers, old cards, buttons etc.), you can paint stones or use a colouring in book as a base for artwork with watercolour or removal markers. Mindconnect has a wide variety of arts and crafts activities specifically designed for people with dementia. Have a look at our huge range on offer here.
Puzzles
Jigsaw puzzles are always so much fun and can be a solo or group activity, what you might not know is that doing a puzzle is actually a form of brain training. We grow up putting together puzzles and they are one of the simplest forms of brain training and can even be used as mediation, which helps lower your heart rate, blood pressure and also relaxes the mind. You can check out our puzzle range here!
Bingo
Who doesn’t love Bingo! It’s such a fun social activity that can be played at home with friends or family or at many clubs and community groups, which gets you out and about and best of all, gets you using your brain. It can be played in small or large groups and has many health benefits for seniors. The three key senses in play are sound (hearing), touch and sight but Bingo can also be wonderful to combat loneliness improve interaction skills and help with your overall general wellbeing. Looking for something a bit different? Why not try Animal Bingo?
Chess
Chess is such a strategic game so it makes sense that it is a great way to stimulate the mind for people with dementia. With so many variations of the game there are options for people of ages and skill levels. It is great to play a game of chess on a real chess board with real chess pieces but if that is not practical for you, never fear, there are multiple chess games and apps online. As chess is about strategy, planning ahead and thinking outside of the box can change the way you think and see the world. Studies have even shown your IQ can improve from playing chess after only a few months.
Brain training apps
If you’re tech savvy a great way to keep the brain stimulated and help with dementia is through brain training apps, which can be played online or on a smart phone or tablet. There are hundreds of apps to choose from and can be a great form of entertainment on a rainy day. Some of our favourite free apps are Elevate, Lumosity and Memorado Brain Training.
Storytelling
A social activity that benefits the brain and overall wellbeing is storytelling. You could simply read to friends or family or, depending on your level of confidence, you could possibly look into being a volunteer storyteller at a local library or childcare centre. Being around young people can also assist with loneliness, wellbeing and is often a great trip down memory lane, bringing back joy and nostalgia to people with dementia.
If you know some great games or activities for people with dementia please share them with us via our contact page and you could be featured in our next article! Or, now that you know some activities that will stimulate dementia why not call up some friends to go out to bingo or get together to do a puzzle or some arts and crafts.
